Latinamia's Blog

what is spanglish..

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:23:34 +0000

Spanish is the hibrid anguage between spanish and english that we latinos have created maybe because we are lazy to learn completly the english language and maybe because we are afraid to loose our own.

The problem with this hibrid language is that we are raising our kids with this language and making them beleive is ok to speak like that, when is completly wrong. In my house I make a huge effort so the kids dont speak english, they have enought english during the day and in my casa is espanol only.

Lonche is the Spanglish usage for lunch, as in “hora de lonche” (lunchtime). The correct Spanish term is almuerzo.

Troca denotes “pickup truck” instead of the standard Spanish camioneta.
Parquear is used instead of the correct Spanish estacionar, it derives from the English word ‘[to] park’

Like these examples we have tons more that we can make a whole book about this new words, also each country in latin america create their own spanglish… can you imagine this mess of language?

WORDS…

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:13:22 +0000

I know that we all wish to be great writers, is not only good for navigating life but good in general to express ideas in a effective way. Words have so much meaning and when we mix them they can create such great impact on people . Like a recipe, we combine all kinds of ingredients to make a awesome cake that could be unforgettable for many of us. I was thinking about just words just recently, about the meaning of words and how strong can they be if we use them appropriately alone or combined I thought about this because I collect the “we can do it” slogan, to me these combinations of words gives and important message, accompanied by the picture and the story behind Rosie “the riveter”, but why do I collected them? Because of WORDS.

Then I thought about Obama’s presidential slogan ” yes we can” and how he made it possible to do so, getting million of people united with one slogan is pretty amazing to think.

Words are amazing way of communication, and how they shape our minds….. it could be a never ending game trying to make just a paragraph with great substance.

So, I looked online for other presidential slogans and I found that candidates needed more than one slogan to refer to a specific group of people, the best I found definitely was Obama with the word just

HOPE

And if you want to play with words get into this website is really cool …

http://www.lexipedia.com/

Procrastination…

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:43:21 +0000

pro·cras·ti·nate

(pr-krst-nt, pr-)

v. pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, pro·cras·ti·nat·ing, pro·cras·ti·nates

v.intr. To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.

v.tr. To postpone or delay needlessly.

I have to say that I am the QUEEN of procrastination, until the last paper,… with my last paper I was so nervous and going nuts , and going to sleep at 3 am for a series of 4 days, I was brain dead those days the next day, but for some reason I was encourage to make that paper flow and make it happen. Im naturally an OWL but not until 3 am, I usually go to bed at 12 am -1 am, everyday and Im perfect the next day, but between Percy and Fromm and trying to decipher and put together my ideas and theirs I needed time alone, complete silence and complete solitude. It was me on those guys and tons of papers and notes all over my bed.

I had time to be the paper, to read it and re read it and discussed all the posibilities of what could be wrong and I got into a point where, I said to myself , leave it, is fine like it is, dont add one more comma or one more period. I knew that If I continued messing with it, I was going to ruin it like we ruin a recipe , with too much salt or too much of pepper. I just left it like it was and send him with my blessings..it was nothing else I could for him.

I know that 203u it will be the same somehow and I promise to NOT PROCRASTINATE .

English 203 u

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:22:39 +0000

I am ready for you…

Im not afraid to be in your class,

I learned a lot with Happy and Im going to do the best I can…

You will not scare me away,

you will not make me crazy this time,

I will be prepared to fight you and find time for you,

You think Im not ready?

I am, I am going to be alert

Happy tought me how to fight you,

and I am going to win gloriously

is now between you and me

and I promise I will win,

and I will show everyone that is nothing to fear

as long we work hard

I will graduate and then I will drink a glass of wine on your name..

hahahahhahahhaha I had to make an ode to one of my classes and i actually was picked as one of the best ones.. this one is not, even close as good but I just wanted to mention that Im taking 203 u and I m ready for it.

Jorge Luis Borges …. Instants..

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:14:52 +0000

Jorge Luis Borges is my favorite Male writer, he was from argentina and he was an amazing person but more amazing were his writing and essays. He made us all proud in South America with his incredible poems and essays. When I was a teenager I discover a poem that made me a follower of his literature , and I found it for you guys and here it is….hope you like it..

If I were able to live my life anew,
In the next I would try to commit more errors.
I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more.
I would be more foolish than I’ve been,
In fact, I would take few things seriously.
I would be less hygienic.
I would run more risks,
take more vacations,
contemplate more sunsets,
climb more mountains, swim more rivers.
I would go to more places where I’ve never been,
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans,
I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.

I was one of those people that lived sensibly
and prolifically each minute of his life;
Of course I had moments of happiness.
If I could go back I would try
to have only good moments.

Because if you didn’t know, of that is life made:
only of moments; Don’t lose the now.

I was one of those that never
went anywhere without a thermometer,
a hot-water bottle,
an umbrella, and a parachute;
If I could live again, I would travel lighter.

If I could live again,
I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring
and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends.
I would take more cart rides,
contemplate more dawns,
and play with more children,
If I had another life ahead of me.

But already you see, I am 85,
and I know that I am dying.

Isabel allende

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:06:15 +0000

I was thinking about who are my favorites writes and why, and I have to say that Isabel Allende is my favorite of all, she express herself like me, she also have a very interesting background, a tough beginning as a writer and family tragedies and her imagination is endless. I feel so much attracted to her writing and the way how she tells a story like she is having a cup of coffee with you in her kitchen. She became really successful when one of her book was taken to Hollywood and made a movie out of it, but getting there was not easy, she is been persistent and what she wants, and being always motivated by her ideas and proud of the latin American culture, she made herself a super star in the writing world.

www.isabelallende.com

When is a paper finally done?

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:46:40 +0000

I was watching the movie, “night in the museum”, and one of the characters said, that she was writing an essay that had taken her 10 years to do and still is not finish yet.

Well, my first concern was, that maybe she was writing about one of those Percy essay that could make anyone crazy, but for real it made me think about when is enough? When is a paper or essay final? Can we say that after 10 years is maybe too long of a paper? And then after 10 years, can we speculate that it would be perfect?

It makes me think that a paper could never be perfect, or could never be finish. We can create this most amazing paper and show it to someone that under our rankings of knowledge is someone that is very smart and intellectual and that person can find tons of errors or composition problems, and then we can fix it and show it to someone else that could find other tons of error of analysis and grammatical mistakes like a simple comma in the wrong place… so, that could take a lot of time, and effort and we are also taking the risk of ending up with a paper that you didn’t write, but a paper that satisfied someone else ideas.

Flowing..

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:33:20 +0000

I write and I understand… I read and I remember,…

Is interesting how, when I write , I understand my own gibberish mind. I can write a lot about some many thing and when someone else reads it they said,” hmmmm it doesn’t makes sense “, then when I read it at loud to that person , it does makes sense and it flows but when they read it , it doesn’t. I guess because I give the right word intonation and make the right pauses where they supposed to be , to make it sound good,..

Is Spanish, I think I’m a Pro, I can write easier and better, and use tons of nice and fancy vocabulary that I could even surprise my mom. I mention before that my mom used to teach the same subject as Happy is doing now, and still now she enjoys writing and reading, and going to a bookstore is like a kid in a candy store, is too bad that her English is very limited.

Finally….

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:20:51 +0000

I feel really relieved that today is our last day of class. Nothing against you guys, but Im just mentally exhausted with all the papers and activities that I do, with the kids and work. Im just happy that I wont see happy anymore , at least for a month , then I will see her again in January in 203 u. Im going to prepared really hard for the hard work that is coming for me in the next semester. I will be taking 4 classes again and Im looking forward for graduation in may.

I think this class was hard and very challenging, it really made me think and stress out like no othe class before, certainly I will not forget the PERCY name .

The masters…

latinamia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:02:13 +0000

While thinking about what to write I was wondering if any of the great writers have some secret knowledge or special equation that would make it easier for the rest of us beginners. I came across some interesting quotes that I would like to share with all of you ..

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard …… in other words cut or take out the boring parts and go for what is really important.

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain , he also said “I used to feel that using words like “really”, “actually”, or “extremely” made writing more forceful. It doesn’t. They only get in the way. Cut them and never look back”

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth…in other words, write about something that you feel passionate about , feeling this any one that reads it will feel the same way .

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov , in other words, use emotions, use detail, and use your imagination…

Vigorous writing is concise. ~William Strunk Jr.… in other words, be simple.

Write without pay until somebody offers to pay. ~Mark Twain …. I think bloging could be a good way to start writing..I have always wanted to write children books, that is another project for my long list of things to do before I die.

You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance. ~Ray Bradbury …. Bloggin again is a great way to write and receive a the acceptance of rejection of the people that read what your wrote, is like being expose to many critics, and the only thing to do is be tough and take it as a learning experience and as a positive criticism even if it was negative.

Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed. ~Ray Bradbury

The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn’t behave that way you would never do anything. ~John Irving

In other word, write and write and keep writing,… that would make you an expert.

If any man wish to write in a clear style, let him be first clear in his thoughts; and if any would write in a noble style, let him first possess a noble soul. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Learn as much by writing as by reading. ~Lord Acton

I n other words write about your area of expertise.

I would like to know how would Happy can take this quote,

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. ~G.K. Chesterton

I guess Happy wouldn’t be too happy if in class we do the opposite of what she said in her instructions, sometimes we have to be brave and adventurous and experiment different writing techniques and see what can we learn from that.

I hope this was useful…

America